Biblical Christianity re: The Thief on the Cross & Baptism

OLD TESTAMENT

Ex.33: 19.  And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

Prov.16: 6.  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

Prov.28: 13.  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

NEW TESTAMENT

Matt.26: 27.  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

 28.  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

 29.  But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.  (Interesting side note: Jesus, whom people accused of being a “wine-bibber” because he drank wine, will drink wine again when he returns.  Apparently there isn’t wine in heaven.  Still wanna preach abstinence?)

Rom.3: 23.  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 24.  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

 25.  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Luke 23: 39.  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

 40.  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

 41.  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

 42.  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

* 43.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

 44.  And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

 45.  And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

 46.  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

*This was spoken by the creator God of the Old Testament, while still in the Old Testament.  The New Testament doesn’t start until after Jesus dies.  As sovereign Jehovah in the flesh, Jesus forgave and offered mercy on whoever He wanted to.

The Book called the Bible, is a collection of 66 individual books.  The “Old Testament” set of collected books ends with Zechariah, and the “New  Testament “ set of collected writings begins with Matthew.  Because of the arrangement of the books, many think the NT salvation began with the birth of Jesus,  but we are saved by the gospel of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor.15:1-4)   The actual beginning of the biblical New Testament began on the day of Jesus’ resurrection.  The church was born according to the “New Testament” on the day of Pentecost.

The argument that baptism isn’t necessary because the thief on the cross was never baptized is invalid because he died during the time of the Old Testament. and was saved according to Old Testament mercy.

Heb.9: 15.  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

 16.  For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

 17.  For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

 18.  Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

 19.  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

 20.  Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

 21.  Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

 22.  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

 23.  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

 24.  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

 25.  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

 26.  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

 27.  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

 28.  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Since this is true, it needs to be understood that when Jesus talked with the Pharisees about their need to pay tithes…they were under the law, law keepers.  When Paul talked about men here collecting tithes…he was referring to the priesthood that existed until 70 AD, when Titus destroyed the temple.

Matt.23: 23.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Luke 18: 11.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

 12.  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

 13.  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
 14.  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Heb.7: 5.  And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

 8.  And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

 9.  And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.  Read the next post.